Losing A Whole Year

I've been an international student here in the US for more than four years. (Darn, does this mean I have to update this description every so often?) The blog title came about as a reference to the time I've been away from home. That is not the MAIN reason though for this blog's name. I like the song (by Third Eye Blind). It reminds me of my college years.

Thursday, December 31, 2009

The World Is Etched Upon Your Heart

2010 is a different world.

What really changes anyway? Years are just human constructs that enable us to keep track of time, because we are aware that as each second goes by, we are letting go of forever. Things are important only because they are never forever. So we mark the years because some things, some people, are important. And if no person, no thing is important, then what do we have to keep track of time for?

2009 is a different world.

Goodbye to people, friends, teachers, who remind us that nobody, nothing is forever. From them, we catch a glimpse of this forever that's ironically ephemeral.

This unassuming little boy will from now on look up to you in the heavens, and will always remember. He will always be grateful. He will at times doubt God, because once in a while, he'll feel the need to ask for proof instead of jumping over the chasm of belief. But it is because of people like you that he will find his way back into faith. He will at times wonder why certain things happen. He will, at times, cry.

He will do all these because he's not a little boy anymore. He thinks he understands more of the world, while at the same time acknowledging his smallness, his insignificance. But while a part of him will always be that little boy, this young man will move on, become more confident, and leave his mark. The sum of this person, and eventually what he makes of himself, will always feel blessed that his life has been touched.

Was the letter G sent to jail? How much does it cost to use this letter? Only Sylvester (Looney Tunes) is allowed to say "sufferin' succotash."

3. It's purpose is unknown. Its here to stay though.

It's = It is. If you've written "it's," ask yourself if you can replace it with "it is." If not, you made a mistake. Its, even if possessive, should have no apostrophe, unless there's a gun pointed at you. All together now:

Ano ang point mo? Ano ang silbi mo sa mundo? You always said you won't run if the opposition would unite behind one candidate. Yet in the same breath, you'd say it's almost impossible for the opposition to find a unifying candidate. Well, you know what? I'm going to give all my friends a thousand dollars each. There's one condition though. A blue unicorn has to magically appear and teach my students calculus this Monday. Get it? A unicorn is not a real animal. And even if unicorns existed in our reality, it would have to be smart enough to know how to find the derivative of a function. So, how can I be morally obligated to give my friends a thousand dollars each if unicorns who know calculus don't even exist? Hahaha! Did you get that, Erap? Did you understand my point, Erap? You want me to explain further Erap?

Look, I don't need to be friends with these politicians. I know their nicknames already, so I don't need to be reminded each time I read the dailies. If you want, call him Sen. Kiko Pangilinan or Sen. Francisco Pangilinan.

Ladies and gentlemen, I'm happy to introduce our special guest, Sen. Francis "Kiko" Pangilinan. Sen. Francis "Kiko" Pangilinan as you well know is the husband our our Megastar Sharon "Ate Shawie" Cuneta. Sen. Francis "Kiko" Pangilinan started out as a lawyer giving free legal assistance. The career of Sen. Francis "Kiko" Pangilinan has been a testament to his belief in active citizenship.

Why? What do these kidnappers hope to achieve? Get ransom money? From the teachers' families? Are you kidding? Really? Like they're rich? What do they want to do next? Get a sperm sample from Cinderella? Ha. Ha. Ha. Not funny.

12. Arnel Pineda, Charice Pempengco and Lea Salonga are world class performers. They make me proud to be Pinoy.

Seriously! Okay, I'm not here to bring these talented people down. I have it in me to be happy for them. Instead, the statement I'm making is about how a lot of us have seemed to anchor our national pride on people like them. I don't think that's healthy. I don't think we even have to go out of our way thumping our chests shouting we're Filipinos. We just have to be who we are, and do things to the best that we can. The game is in our minds. One inane YouTube comment I saw on a Lea Salonga clip: "You speak English so well. That's such an achievement. I'm so proud of you." Lastly, what's the big deal about Pinoy pride? I should be proud to be Pinoy because I'm Pinoy? Hey, all of us with two nostrils, let's all shout together, "I'm so proud to have two nostrils! 2-nostril pride, yeah!"

13. Worshipping foreigners with Filipino blood

A Cebu Pacific inflight magazine (last August, I think) made my blood curdle. I turned to the page for their article on Pinoy heroes, only to find out that their 4-person feature was on Batista, Vanessa Hudgens, Apl.De.Ap and Pacquiao. Okay, I don't have any difficulty putting

Apl.De.Ap and Pacquiao in the hero box. But Batista and Hudgens JUST BECAUSE they are part Pinoy? Oh, this reminds me of David Archuleta when he was just starting out in American Idol. His being Filipino even made it to his Wikipedia page (which was thankfully edited eventually). The YouTube comments evolved this way:

(1) Is he Filipino?

(2) Guys, somebody asked if he's Filipino.

(3) He could be Filipino.

(4) Hey, it's so cool. He is Filipino!

(5) David Archuleta is Pinoy! Yeah! Filipino pride! Brown pride!

(6) OMG, I'm so proud to be Pinoy! Mabuhay ang Pinoy. We're so talented and we're so world class.

14. TV show hosts interviewing foreigners who don't speak Filipino

Stop it with the Filipino innuendos which they don't understand - it's so impolite. It's old and it's not funny. And please stop asking them what they think of Filipinas and Filipino food, or whether they would come back, since we already know what they're going to say. Would they say Filipinas are ugly? Would they say they wouldn't even approach Filipino food with a 5-foot stick? Would they say they wouldn't come back to the Philippines if it was entirely up to them? Noooo! Their favorite Pinoy dish is adobo.Their favorite beach is Boracay. Balut is

really something.

15. The Philippines is the third largest English-speaking nation in the world.

Says who? Us? I'll be willing to change my mind, if someone could pull out an official record.

Says who? Us? I just find the use of titles so pretentious. No, it's not Regine Velasquez, Jaya, Lani Misalucha and Pilita Corrales I'm calling pretentious. It's our usage I'm calling pretentious. Let's take the case of Regine. She was given this title after winning a singing contest in 1989. That's 20 years ago! In fourth grade (1989), I was part of the team that represented my section in a spelling bee. We won. Now, all kneel and address me as Fourth Grade's Magnificent Emperor of Awesome Spelling. Continue addressing me as such for 20 years hence. Fast forward to the year 2020. "Final call for passengers of flight NW71 bound for Manila. Calling passenger Fourth Grade's Magnificent Emperor of Awesome Spelling. This is your last call."

17. One plus one is equals two. Why does women not know how to please men?

The laws of subject-verb agreement are not legally binding. Sob.

18. Posters of politicians

Why do we need to see your faces in posters and billboards of government projects? What is the point? Will the projects become more important if we can see your faces? Yeah yeah yeah, these are really rhetorical questions. We already know why their faces have to be everywhere. Let's do an experiment.

Show poster with politician's face. Ah, I'm sad.

Show poster but block out politician's face. Ah, now I'm happy! Weeeee!

19. Opposition to the Reproductive Health Bill

People who shouldn't will continue frakking around. Sadly, a lot of them cannot support their already big families. The RH Bill already explicitly says it is against abortion!

Friday, September 18, 2009

I Dream of Chickenjoy

I was sitting in one of the benches along University St. in front of the Math Building, when in reality, there aren't any benches there. I was with Winson Lim, one of my teammates in IMO 1995 in Canada. In this sequence, he's a Purdue student, when in reality, he's not.

Then came Bernard Chan, holding a plastic bag of fried chicken pieces. Bernard was also a teammate in 1995.

"Where did you get that, Bernard?" I asked.

"I got this from Jollibee."

Ah, Chickenjoy.

"Where?" I followed up.

"Chicago." It sounded like fact even though there's no Jollibee in Chicago. But isn't it that when you dream, anything is possible?

"Here, take some."

I did not hesitate. Winson on the other hand didn't feel like it. That didn't stop me.

Bernard was bringing the whole meal to his dorm room in Beering Hall, which isn't a dorm. His brother and parents were waiting for him to celebrate his graduation. In our real world, he graduated from University of Illinois in Urbana Champaign, not Purdue.

Wednesday, January 14, 2009

ALERT: National Weather Service issues wind chill advisory

WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. - The National Weather Service in Indianapolis has issued a wind chill WARNING which is in effect from midnight tonight to 1 p.m. EST Friday (Jan. 16). A wind chill warning means the combination of very cold air and strong winds will create dangerously low wind chill values. This will result in frostbite and lead to hypothermia or death if precautions are not taken.

Bitter cold air ushered in on gusty winds is forecasted for Wednesday night and to remain into Friday. Wind chills of 20 below zero to 30 below zero are expected to occur.

The university is monitoring the weather and urges all students, faculty and staff to do so as well. Watch the Purdue home page for updates, including potential decisions about classes.

About Me

"What's a boy supposed to do?
The killer in me is the killer in you" --
Disarm (Smashing Pumpkins).
I'm a Trekkie, a newbie coffee addict, a geek. One tragedy in my life is that nobody in my immediate circle of friends likes the music I listen to.